Beautiful Suncatcher Mandalas Nature Craft and Symmetry Activity

Enjoy spending time outside with the kids, and then bring all their nature treasures inside to make a beautiful mandala nature craft. As kids craft they can explore nature, count, and decorate symmetrical circles using a paper plate and our free symmetrical circles template from our Symmetry Circles Math Activity. If you prefer, you could always skip the symmetrical part and let kids create freely–either way the results will be beautiful!

This has to be one of my favorite crafts that we have done recently because I LOVE spending time outside with my kids as we gathered supplies. As the kids crafted they had so much fun exploring all their nature treasures and reviewing what they have learned about flowers. They also counted and learned about symmetry all while creating art–they didn’t even notice they were learning.

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Little Tiger loved crafting with flowers and when she was done she used her scissors to dissect the leftover art supplies and review the parts of the flower. Her favorite thing to so is find the pollen and baby seeds inside the flower.

Little Dragon’s mandala did not turn out as symmetrical as Little Tiger’s however he did learn to count 4 of each object (because he had 4 sections on his mandala) and add them to each section of his paper plate which is awesome!

We went to a local flower store and garden and asked if we could gather flowers we found on the ground for a school art project. I was then asked what school I taught at and I answered, “We homeschool,” and the lady replied, “One of the most important schools there is” and I totally agree! (Even if you aren’t a teacher or a “homeschooler” by doing activities with your kids you are a teaching them and the best part is you are making memories). We also went out into the garden and found petals that were on the ground like a treasure hunt. Now let’s get crafting :).

Cut out the center of 1 paper plate and cover it with a piece of contact paper. I secured the contact paper with tape.

Cut out the symmetrical circles template and place it on the second paper plate.

With the sticky side facing up, place the paper plate with the contact paper on top of the paper plate with the symmetrical circles template so that kids can press flowers onto the contact paper on a flat surface. This is one of my favorite art supply trays…so beautiful!

Have children decorate their mandalas counting out nature pieces for each of their sections and place them on the contact paper. Once they are done if you plan on moving the mandalas a lot of the flowers are not sticking as well as you would like I recommend placing a second sheet of contact paper over the top to secure their artwork.

Hang mandalas in the window for the sun to shine through.

This post is part of a wonderful serious put together by Little Bins for Little Hands.

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